• Culture,  Norway & Scandinavia,  Traveling

    White Nights & Jazz: 10 Summer Festivals in Norway

    Norway, renowned for the beautiful fjord scenery and railway journeys that offer spectacular views of ravines, waterfalls and mountains, also boasts a thriving jazz scene. Every year from May to August, when the days just don’t turn into nights, no less than 10 festivals take place across the country.   Hamar Jazz Festival Also known as AnJazz, this festival takes place in Hamar over five days in early May. Located on the shores of Mjøsa, Norway’s largest lake, this medium-sized town in eastern-central Norway is about an hour and a half away from Oslo either by car or train.   Maijazz As the name suggests, this is another jazz festival…

  • Norway & Scandinavia,  Traveling

    Fjords & Jazz: Explore Norway in 9 days

    23rd of June 1998. I first set foot on Norway exactly 20 years ago. This was the day that Norway beat Brazil in the World Cup. It was also the day that the critically-acclaimed music video for Madonna’s ‘Ray of Light’, directed by the Swedish Jonas Åkerlund, was released on VHS only to become the best-selling video singles of the Nielsen SoundScan era. It was almost midnight when I first watched the iconic video on MTV, high-speed images of Madonna dancing, whilst Norwegians were celebrating all over Oslo. Outside, there was still daylight.   Madonna’s iconic ‘Ray of Light’ directed by Jonas Åkerlund.   20 years on, I am still…